COVID READY- Our Policy

Last week the UK Government announced that close contact services, including our sector are able to return to work if they are based in England. Practitioners will be required to adhere to the Close Contact Service Guidelines issued by the Government .

This is the statement from FHT:

"In England, the government announced that from Monday 13 July, close contact services including “beauty and nail bars, makeup and tattoo studios, tanning salons/booths, spas and wellness businesses, sports and massage therapy, and well-being and holistic locations” could reopen, “subject to some restrictions on particularly high-risk services.”

The restrictions most relevant to FHT members apply to any “work in the highest risk zone – directly in front of the face […]” This means that any treatment that involves working on the face, or directly in front of the face, cannot be carried out at this time. For more information, see this government press release and the government’s Guidance for keeping workers and clients safe in close contact services (updated on 9 July), which therapists in England should adhere to when they resume practice.

Therefore we are publishing Heartfelt Hands Therapies CIC policy for our clients refer to when needed. 

Adhering to guidelines

Throughout the pandemic, I will be following guidelines issued by the government, NHS, other relevant authorities and my professional association, the Federation of Holistic Therapists, regarding safe and hygienic practice and the use of any personal protective equipment (PPE).

COVID-19 Risk Assessment

I have carried out a full risk assessment, in line with guidance from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), in order to:

• identify what work activity or situations might cause transmission of the virus;
• think about who could be at risk;
• decide how likely it is that someone could be exposed; and to
• act to remove the activity or situation, or if this isn’t possible, control the risk.

Health screening

Prior to seeing any of my clients, I will be:

• monitoring my own health and deferring treatments if I have COVID-19 or symptoms of COVID-19.
• contacting my clients 24 hours in advance and deferring any treatments if: they have COVID-19 or symptoms of COVID-19; are clinically extremely vulnerable and shielding; anyone in their household has COVID-19 or symptoms of COVID-19; they have been in close contact with someone who has symptoms of COVID-19 in the past 14 days; they have been contacted by the NHS Test and Trace Service and told to self isolate.
• asking my clients to call and cancel and defer treatment on the morning of their appointment if they have a temperature or other symptoms of COVID-19.

Enhanced cleaning and hygiene measures

I have introduced enhanced cleaning and hygiene measures between clients, which includes washing and disinfecting any non-porous surfaces and therapy equipment, such as chairs and couches, and replacing any porous or single-use items, such as towels and couch roll. Strict personal hygiene measures will also be adhered to, including regular handwashing/ sanitising.

Adapting or restricting treatments

It may be necessary for me to adapt or restrict certain treatments, in order to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 and/or protect my clients’ health and safety. Any clients likely to be impacted will be advised as soon as possible.

Maintaining social distancing

Please note that while many treatments involve close contact, I will be observing social distancing measures wherever possible. This might include, for example, maintaining an appropriate distance during the consultation process, and when arriving and leaving for an appointment.

Cancellations policy

If a treatment is cancelled or deferred at short notice because my client has COVID-19 or has symptoms of COVID-19, any standard cancellation fees will be waivered. The client will be asked to kindly confirm in writing that their appointment has been cancelled or deferred because they have COVID-19 or symptoms of COVID-19.

For more information…

I am happy to be contacted to discuss any aspect of your treatment during this time. Please contact me at: ruthzabbar@touchtherapies.org

Mobile: 07479502695
Name: Ruth Zabbar
Date: 13 July 2020